Geothermal Heat Exchangers and Related Installation Apparatuses, Systems, and Methods

Abstract

The presently claimed and described technology provides geothermal heat exchangers and related apparatuses, tools, systems, and methods that facilitate economical installation of the heat exchangers. The heat exchangers may be installed using a penetrator that is driven into ground by a driving assembly. The driving assembly may drive the penetrator via a central drill string or drill rod and/or by overlapping driving members of alternating orientation. Tubes of the heat exchangers may be configured in a helical configuration and/or a straight configuration and/or be configured with an extended tube-to-tube spacing. Such extended tube spacing reduces tube-to-tube thermal conduction and increases tube-to-ground thermal conduction and thereby increases efficiency, effectivity, etc. of the geothermal heat exchanger. Sheathing may be positioned around the tubes for protection during installation. The sheathing and/or the driving assembly may place grout and/or other material around and or adjacent the tubes. A housing may be positioned around a fluid return portion of the heat exchanger tubing, and fluid passages may deliver fluid into the ground to facilitate penetration and/or to backfill grout during withdrawal. A removable sheath may be positioned around the tubing and selectively retained and released to permit sheath retrieval while leaving the tubing installed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.